Back in the day . . . - Page 3

jon1856 · #1 04-01-2008, 10:58 AM

Humm:
Very early rush-the week before Freshmen Orientation!
Little/Big Sisters-Still have a great friendship with mine.

Wednesday night dinner out-Student Union had real bad meals on Wednesday and a local pizza place picked up on that. Had all you could eat pizza slices at a real great price.
Friday on the patio with Frampton comes alive playing on the our house speakers (taken from the old Parimount NorthWest-rather large) over the entire campus. And Gin or Rum Tonics and beer.
Ice blocking at the point.
The SAE Riot

fantASTic · #2 03-31-2008, 05:59 PM

Wow...a lot of that stuff is cool, but some stuff I'm glad is gone! Now I see why they stopped giving gifts...if I saw an ASA crossing out our letters like 33girl mentioned, I would be horrified, as I'm sure would her chapter. I know that if an AST here did that it would NOT be tolerated, as it is exceptionally rude and disrespectful.

I wish we could bring back little sisters...if I was going to pick something to bring back, that would be it. What a cool program!

33girl · #3 04-01-2008, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fantASTic

Wow...a lot of that stuff is cool, but some stuff I'm glad is gone! Now I see why they stopped giving gifts...if I saw an ASA crossing out our letters like 33girl mentioned, I would be horrified, as I'm sure would her chapter. I know that if an AST here did that it would NOT be tolerated, as it is exceptionally rude and disrespectful.

I wish we could bring back little sisters...if I was going to pick something to bring back, that would be it. What a cool program!

It wasn't the letters, it was "Tau" written out. I don't think anyone outside our house and maybe a boy or 2 saw it. Don't be offended, I love you guys.

(I'm sure some of the ASTs did the same thing to ASA merch as well. We had a friendly rivalry.)

I agree w/ you on little sisters. I think it was better for some women than being in a sorority - less of a commitment.

SWTXBelle · #4 04-01-2008, 10:52 AM

I'm glad little sisters are gone - they existed for the benefit of the fraternities,not the little sisters. And yes, many girls were little sisters instead of sororities - less commitment, sure - but again, nothing for the members and what about after graduation?
I was a Sigma after graduation - that was the wives of Sigma Chi group that has since disbanded. In fact, I founded the last ever chapter.

33girl · #5 04-01-2008, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

I'm glad little sisters are gone - they existed for the benefit of the fraternities,not the little sisters. And yes, many girls were little sisters instead of sororities - less commitment, sure - but again, nothing for the members and what about after graduation?
I was a Sigma after graduation - that was the wives of Sigma Chi group that has since disbanded. In fact, I founded the last ever chapter.

Our Phi Sigma Kappa alumnae corporation includes the little sisters in all their correspondence and functions. They had one of the better programs. If you joined nothing but a "hang out with cute guys and drink" group, that's what you got. Then again, you could apply the above label to some sorority chapters as well.

Anyway, so this thread doesn't turn negative and so I don't have to defend little sisters for the 34768236482364843276th time...

I think every group had a pref song to "Pass It On."

fantASTic · #6 04-01-2008, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

I'm glad little sisters are gone - they existed for the benefit of the fraternities,not the little sisters. And yes, many girls were little sisters instead of sororities - less commitment, sure - but again, nothing for the members and what about after graduation?
I was a Sigma after graduation - that was the wives of Sigma Chi group that has since disbanded. In fact, I founded the last ever chapter.

See, I've never understood that. I would want to do it because I would want to help them, not because of any other reason..so to me it's like volunteering. You think volunteering's okay, don't you? Even though working at a soup kitchen only helps the homeless and not you?

SWTXBelle · #7 04-01-2008, 02:19 PM

I don't REALLY think you are comparing helping fraternity men pass out drinks to pnm to working at a soup kitchen, are you?

I have this image of the homeless being helped, and fraternity boys . .. not needing it. And for what it is worth, I did a great deal of volunteering for a chapter of Sigma Chi, but I did not become a little sister. Why? Well, even then my sorority frowned upon it, and because I wanted to do what I did because I wanted to do it - not so I could wear their letters. I'm glad, 33, you had a good experience. I'm sure there were many groups that were above board and did not take advanage of the girls. But there were many who did. At any rate, there's no sense getting into a debate as the question has been decided.

So bring on the little sister group memories, all you Belles and Sweethearts and Little Sigs.

Benzgirl · #8 03-31-2008, 06:15 PM

No AquaNet here...my poof is natural!

We didn't get gifts from the chapters we preffed, but didn't pledge, but we received flowers. Luckily, we had a little time between pref parties, so many ran back to their apartments and dorms to drop them.

Michael Jackson's "Thriller" reminds me of the AGS house
"Shout" of the Beta house
"I Ran" by Flock of Seagulls, Delta Tau Delta
Anything by Duran Duran reminds me of the Phi Psis
Phil Collins reminds me of Kappa Sigma
1999 reminds me of Sigma Alpha Mu
Anything from Flash Dance reminds of of the SAEs

Bars: Papa Joes, Triology, Mine Shaft, Oar House, Mean Mister Mustards and Crazy Momas

Senior Year: every guy tried to imitate Tom Cruise in Risky Business (right down to dancing in the boxer shorts)

My cousin had the Add a Bead but I had the Add a Pearl. I had tons of gold jewelry, but not the bling of today

gee_ess · #9 03-31-2008, 07:28 PM

^^^ LOVED the house boys! (and the acrylic frames - so true!)

SWTXBelle · #10 03-31-2008, 07:30 PM

Feel free to post pictures, y'all. I certainly will once I'm moved!

eta - hands up - how many of y'all had a pref song to "The Rose" or "The Theme from Ice Castles (Eyes of Love)"??

Love
is found in Gamma Phi
A love that never dies,
it keeps on something I've forgotten,
how we love our sisters,
how they help us grow,
in Gaaaaaammmmaaaa Phi, we know we have found a home.

ForeverRoses · #11 04-01-2008, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Feel free to post pictures, y'all. I certainly will once I'm moved!

eta - hands up - how many of y'all had a pref song to "The Rose" or "The Theme from Ice Castles (Eyes of Love)"??

Love
is found in Gamma Phi
A love that never dies,
it keeps on something I've forgotten,
how we love our sisters,
how they help us grow,
in Gaaaaaammmmaaaa Phi, we know we have found a home.

We sang "The Rose"! And so did three other sororities on my campus...

Katmandu · #12 04-01-2008, 11:52 AM

Richard Nixon was president, Helen Reddy was on the radio, hair was long, skirts were short, collars were big, petroleum products were proudly worn. (Double knit, anyone?)

1973, large state university....

A couple of thoughts about sorority singing and dinner, 70's style.

Singing! Don't know if it was the times, or just our campus, but glos sang a lot! Song leaders were important officers. Rush (frilly) included lots of singing. Many campus events included singing/theatrical competitions

Serenades were big. We had song practice after dinner for days prior to a serenade (held before formals) Serenades gave glos important "face" time, as a great serenade could affect who invited you to do homecoming, Varsity Revue, etc.

We typically sang one current pop song (The Carpenter's, The Association), a couple of our sorority songs, Christmas carols prior to our winter formal, and learned a fraternity song for each house we serenaded. When a fraternity serenaded us, studyhall emptied, you dropped what you were doing, and everyone crowded the front door to listen. Fraternities serenaded when someone in your house got pinned to a brother or before formals.

Dinner (and more singing) We ate sit down family style dinners every night served by House Boys. Formal Dinners were held every Sunday at noon and Monday evening (chapter night). Formal dinner required pins, dresses, stockings. (no "pantsuits").

The door to the dining room opened at 5:30, and the house mother was escorted to her table by the head house boy. Her table was expected to fill up first, the President's and VP's tables were expected to fill up next. No one had assigned seats but them. If you didn't want to sit at one of the head tables, you hung back at the back of the crowd.

As we entered the room, we stood behind our chairs and the song leader led us in a sung prayer (with three part harmony) then we sat down after the house mother and president were seated.

Our dining room had tables for eight, and the head of table was responsible for passing food, seeing that each person had what they needed, using a little silver bell to summon a house boy for more water, tea, butter, etc. All of the sororities had house boys and it was a prized job on campus.

Dinner ended with at least one song. At formal dinners, we sang one of our more "serious" sorority songs. Rgular dinners ended with one or two "fun" sorority songs or a fraternity song. Once the singing was over, the house mother stood, was escorted from the dining room, then we were free to leave.

When my kids hear this, they scream with laughter, because it sounds positively medieval now. But dinner was fun. The dining room was beautiful, we had great food, lively conversation, lots of laughter, a sense of community and some practice in valuable social skills. It was the one time of day when everyone in the house was together in one place.

Great thread! Sorry to natter on so long.

gee_ess · #13 04-01-2008, 12:21 PM

KAtmandu says,
Dinner (and more singing) We ate sit down family style dinners every night served by House Boys. Formal Dinners were held every Sunday at noon and Monday evening (chapter night). Formal dinner required pins, dresses, stockings. (no "pantsuits").

The door to the dining room opened at 5:30, and the house mother was escorted to her table by the head house boy. Her table was expected to fill up first, the President's and VP's tables were expected to fill up next. No one had assigned seats but them. If you didn't want to sit at one of the head tables, you hung back at the back of the crowd.

As we entered the room, we stood behind our chairs and the song leader led us in a sung prayer (with three part harmony) then we sat down after the house mother and president were seated.

Our dining room had tables for eight, and the head of table was responsible for passing food, seeing that each person had what they needed, using a little silver bell to summon a house boy for more water, tea, butter, etc. All of the sororities had house boys and it was a prized job on campus.

Every word of this is still very much in practice at Monday night formal dinners on one campus I know of...

AOII Angel · #14 04-01-2008, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Feel free to post pictures, y'all. I certainly will once I'm moved!

eta - hands up - how many of y'all had a pref song to "The Rose" or "The Theme from Ice Castles (Eyes of Love)"??

Love
is found in Gamma Phi
A love that never dies,
it keeps on something I've forgotten,
how we love our sisters,
how they help us grow,
in Gaaaaaammmmaaaa Phi, we know we have found a home.

We definitely had a pref song to "The Rose" that sisters fought to sing as a solo. My pledge class song (each class had to write one) was to "The Theme from Ice Castles (Eyes of Love)" and was used there after as a pref song. We thought we were sooooo clever! I guess everyone else did too!

OldAOPi · #15 04-01-2008, 06:07 PM

Well, it was towards the end of Disco, thank goodness. I hated dancing to disco music, made all my curl go flat.

The song "We Are Family" was our pledge class theme. It was the only disco song I knew the words to - but I did like Meatloaf and STILL know all the words to "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights".

I can related back to colors - our pledge class sweatshirts where white with red writing. Fraternity Sportswear would send a rep with promo pieces and you would order your navy blue sweatshirt with embroidered letters. It was a big deal when in about 1980 they had a light blue hoodie. Woo Hoo!

Quarters was fun...fraternities would steal composites, and serenades were a big deal. We would take our pledge classes around to sing to the fraternities after we got our pledge classes and had a dinner.

Animal House came out around then - so then we all had......TOGA PARTIES!!!

Rush had lots of skits and song. We thought we were all that when we revised our Theme Day skit to a Grease Theme and wore 50's style costumes. And the slide show was made from pictures turned into slides! Took a lot of work!